


fire, blood and steel

by uchiwan



Series: the eternal song of sun and moon communicating their conflict across the sky. [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alien Mythology/Religion, Clan Politics, Epistolary, F/F, F/M, Folklore, Gen, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Kekkei Genkai | Bloodline Limit, Letters, M/M, Mentions of Myth & Folklore, Multi, Original Mythology, Other, Uchiha Clan-centric, Uchiha Sasuke-centric, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:35:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27735436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uchiwan/pseuds/uchiwan
Summary: Excerpts from the Archives of the Uchiha Clan of Konohagakure, dated 10 - 150 years after the creation of Konohagakure, translated from the original Hikaku with permission from the Uchiha Patriarch and under the direction of the Archivist, Toshiyuki-sama.a worldbuilding companion piece focusing mainly on the Uchiha clan, set in theEternal Song of Sun and Moonuniverse.
Relationships: Dai-nana-han | Team 7 & Uchiha Clan, Nara Shikaku/Uchiha Fugaku, Ootsutsuki Indra & Uchiha Sasuke, Senju Hashirama/Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Fugaku/Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Izuna & Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Mikoto & Original Character(s), Uchiha Mikoto & Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke/Original Female Character(s), Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto, Yamanaka Inoichi/Uchiha Fugaku
Series: the eternal song of sun and moon communicating their conflict across the sky. [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1846084
Comments: 3
Kudos: 28





	1. i.  foreword, notes from the editor.

**Author's Note:**

> This'll be a collection of one-shots, two-shots, drabbles set in the _Eternal song of Sun and Moon_ , focusing solely on the Uchiha Clan. There will be lots of worldbuilding in the form of letters, newspaper clippings, interviews, etc etc. to and from members of the Uchiha Clan and their allies. This series / fic is just me flexing my worldbuilding for this series and exploring the different facets of the Uchiha Clan and the legacy. Multi-generation, multi-ship (lots of uchiha ships to explore). 
> 
> I'll try to keep it spoiler-free, but in chapters with spoiler-y content, I'll write a warning in the notes.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hashirama's foreword, edited **heavily** by senju tobirama.

**THE UCHIHA CLAN** was an ancient and noble clan of Rokeyo descent descende d from the Rikudō Sennin via his first-born child, Ōtsutsuki Indra, and his Rokeyo wife. They once ruled the Rokeyo Islands as the _Hi no ō_ before settling in the Land of Fire and, eventually, founded Konohagakure no Sato with their long-time rivals, the Senju Clan. Their symbol was of the Uchiwa fan, from which they got their name and their words were _Fire and Blood_ , a shortened version of _Fire, Blood, and Steel_. Their words represented not only their inner fire, their sheer mastery of Katon, their connection to their beloved Sun Goddess to whom they sang their praises, but they also represented the noble blood that coursed through their veins (and shed in honor of their beloved goddess), their unparalleled skill in forging and fighting with steel and their spines made of steel. 

After the founding of Konohagakure, the Uchiha Clan lived within the Uchichiku, a community, and mini-village within the walls of the Leaf Village near the Naka River. The district’s unofficial name was _Little Rokeyo_ \- a callback to the birthplace of the Uchiha Clan, but to those outside the Clan, it was known as the Uchiha District. There they lived, with their customs and culture thriving. Slowly, but surely, the other clans and citizens of Konoha came to trust the Uchiha, came to appreciate their love of fire and their proficiency in kenjutsu. 

IT IS SAID THAT madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin and every time an Uchiha is born, the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds it’s breath to see how it lands. Madness or Greatness. It’s said that the Uchiha are a deeply emotional people---this is true: emotions run deeply in the Uchiha Clan, more deeply than any other clan or people (they are taught from an early age to control their emotions so that their emotions do not control them) and they love deeply to the point of dying for their loved ones. And the loss of the object of their affections would push them down the path of Madness, awakening within them the Mangekyo Sharingan. 

I have known many an Uchiha, my best friend was an Uchiha and I loved him dearly. While it can be said that our relationship ended in Fire and Blood and tears, I will always cherish the time we had together and the love we shared. Uchiha Madara was a complicated man living in a complicated and oftentimes violent world and I ask that you reserve your judgment of him until you have heard his story. Perhaps he went down a path I could not follow, down into the darkness, but even in the darkness, I could see the man I loved. I saw his heart. I sit here, years after his death, with the firm belief that he died a good man, that even as lost in the darkness as he was, that there was a tiny seedling of light. Perhaps one day, we’ll find our way back to each other. For now, I am content to think back on our friendship fondly and pray for him to find the peace that _we_ longed for. 

I ask you not to judge the entire Uchiha Clan by one man’s actions, for they are a clan of noble folk; strong and cunning, with beautiful traditions and powerful warriors. To have an Uchiha at your back, protecting you is a blessing indeed. What follows herein is a detailed account of the Uchiha, from their founding to their traditions and everything in between--an accounting of the deeds of the wicked and gallant. And as you settle in to enjoy this tome, I ask you once again not to judge an entire clan for one man’s folly. 

Senju Hashirama, Shodai Hokage of Konohagakure,  
28 years after the Founding of Konohagakure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you liked my fic and would like to stay in contact with me, [join the discord server](https://discord.gg/rPVk7DX) dedicated to my writing. you can interact with me, the author and other fans, get sneak peeks and insider scoops.


	2. ii.  stormborn.

_Excerpts from the personal files of Uchiha Sasuke, the Patriarch of the Uchiha Clan, dated ten years before the founding of Konohagakure to one hundred and twenty years after the foundation of Konohagakure; translated from the original Hikaku, with permission from the Uchiha Patriarch and under the direction of the Archivist, Toshiyuki-sama. It should be noted, however, that there may be some degree of mistranslations, resulting in the loss of nuance in the text._

Uchiha Sasuke was born on the twenty-third day of the seventh month, approximately seventy-four years after the founding of Konohagakure, as the second child of Uchiha Fugaku, the Patriarch of the Uchiha Clan and the Royal Line and his wife, Uchiha Mikoto of the Second Line. On the day of his birth, thick black clouds sprawled across the sky, covering everything in darkness, and the winds howled, warning, crying, baying like a wolf into the night. The first crack of lightning illuminated the sky, as the rolling boom of untamed power reverberating across the sky, like the fury of the gods. Stormborn, they named him, when he was at last born, his howls surging from his lungs like a supernova, expanding outwards through the hospital. Stormborn–––the child of storms, of a long-prophesied change. 

For the first seven years of his life, Sasuke Stormborn lived with his parents and brother, Heir Itachi, in the Uchiha Manor–––the smaller palace that was gifted to Fugaku upon his marriage to Mikoto-hime of the Second Line. His childhood, like that of any clan child, was filled with endless etiquette lessons, musical lessons and specialized clan training–––all of which he excelled, much to the joy and pride of his parents and the Clan Elders. While he wasn’t a prodigy in the same manner as his brother, his progress and skill was something to be remarked upon. Like his brother, Uchiha Sasuke was expected to become a shinobi, to awaken his Sharingan and prove himself loyal to the Clan first, then the village they resided in. He was expected to stand beside his brother and offer advice and, in time, sire strong children for the Uchiha Line. 

By all accounts, he was a happy boy : talented, polite, and kind. While his father personally oversaw the upbringing and education of his Heir, the Matriarch and the Mothers saw to the upbringing of their stormborn child. Mikoto-hime and her mother saw to his spiritual studies––made sure that he was well acquainted with the customs and culture of the Uchiha Clan and the Spirits that protected the clan. They ensured that Uchiha Sasuke would grow to be a strong, polite child well versed in all manner of areas, including but not limited to : arts, politics, music, and the language of flowers. To foster good relations and build alliances with other clans, he and the other clan children were encouraged to befriend each other at the Academy and during the endless parade of parties and cotillions. He made friends with Uzumaki Naruto, who was by all accounts the Heir of the Uzumaki Clan, even if he and the public were unaware, thanks to the gag order from the Hokage. Of the clan heirs, he befriended Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji, Nara Shikamaru and Ōhirume Sayuri, but stayed away from the Hyūga Clan as relations between the two clans were lukewarm at _best_ and openly hostile at worst. Despite Lord Third’s best efforts, the relationship between the Hyūga and Uchiha clans deteriorated until the clans were on the verge of open warfare. Historians have long since argued over the cause of the tensions between the two clans –––but they all agree that the _Hyūga Incident_ almost pushed the clans to declare war on each other. Open war was prevented only due to the combined skill and efforts of Orochimaru, Yamanaka Hanari, and Akimichi Choza. 

Because he was second-in-line to the Hinotama-za, the Matriarch and Patriarch arranged his marriage to the Princess of the Ōhirume Clan, a move that surprised Sarutobi Hiruzen but was a move welcomed by the Uchiha Clan Elders and the other members of the clan. While it was welcomed by the Uchiha and Ōhirume clans and their allies, some on the Konohagakure Council felt as though it was a power move–––and perhaps it was a power move. One to protect themselves and their youngest child and strengthen the ties between the clans. While Itachi ascended to the Hinotama-za, Sasuke would marry the Princess of the Ōhirume clan and sire strong children of mixed bloodlines. The Sun and Dragon, finally reunited after a millennium apart.

For seven years, Uchiha Sasuke lived in blissful peace, unaware of the danger that lurked beneath the pleasant smiles and stilted peace, unaware that his life would change forever at the hands of the man he once called brother. On the night of July twenty-second, eighty years after the founding of Konohagakure, Uchiha Itachi, Clan Heir and member of the ANBU, slaughtered everyone in the clan. He left no one alive, and waited, in the shadows for his younger brother to return after a long day of training. 

Scholars have long since debated over the Uchiha Massacre and Itachi’s thought process, but we will never truly know why Itachi snapped, slaughtering his entire clan–––leaving his younger brother the sole survivor of the massacre. That secret, he, unfortunately, took to his grave and the Uchiha Patriarch has never opened up about That Incident that changed his life forever. It'll forever be a closely guarded secret, like most else in the Uchiha Clan.

 **THIS WE DO KNOW** : Uchiha Itachi, acting alone, slaughtered his entire family, left his brother comatose and traumatized, and fled into the arms of the terrorist organization: Akatsuki. He left a broken clan, worsened relations with the Hyūga Clan, and a terrible political mess that left the remaining clans, Konohagakure and the Land of Fire reeling. 

** FOOTNOTES ** : 

> **1**. the uchichiku is the official name of the uchiha district. the uchiha manor, in which sasuke spent his childhood, was a smaller manor built by fugaku's mother, the matriarch and given to him as a wedding present. fugaku spent his childhood in the larger palace, which housed the matriarch and her entire court. after his mother's death during the kyūbi attack, fugaku and mikoto decided to remain in the smaller manor, but fugaku travelled to the larger palace for official clan business. 
> 
> **2**. mikoto-hime was the youngest daughter of uchiha yukiko, the shaman for the uchiha clan, known for her deep spiritual connection to the leylines of the uchichiku and the spirits that visited from the Spirit Realm. she spearheaded the young boy's spiritual lessons and by patriach uchiha’s own admission, these lessons were his favourite lessons of his childhood. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all were probably expecting this to start with Madara then gradually make my way to Sasuke/Sasuke's era, but I made the decision to reverse that: start with Sasuke and slowly make my way to Madara and Indra. I'll probably write 10-15 pieces per person/clan member. If you have an Uchiha you'd like to see, let me know and I'll add them to my list.


	3. iii.   letters, part one: birth.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a collection of letters from uchiha-sama's private collection, volume one.

𝙵𝚁𝙾𝙼 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚂𝚃𝙾𝚁𝙼𝙱𝙾𝚁𝙽 𝙲𝙾𝙻𝙻𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽, 𝚅𝙾𝙻𝚄𝙼𝙴 𝙸.  
𝙰 𝚂𝙴𝙻𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 𝙵𝚁𝙾𝙼 𝚄𝙲𝙷𝙸𝙷𝙰-𝚂𝙰𝙼𝙰’𝚂 𝙲𝙾𝚁𝚁𝙴𝚂𝙿𝙾𝙽𝙳𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴 𝙱𝙴𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙴𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚈𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚂 𝟽𝟷 𝙵𝙻 𝚃𝙾 𝟾0 𝙵𝙻.

[ The first letter ever received by Uchiha Sasuke was written by Uzumaki Kushina to Uchiha Mikoto, on the Twenty-Fourth day of July, Seventy-One years after the Founding of the Leaf Village, following the birth of the little Stormborn Prince. ]

𝙳𝙴𝙰𝚁 𝙼𝙸𝙺𝙾,—

Hoʻomaikaʻi ‘ana! Minato and I are tickled _pink_ with the news of the safe delivery of your stormborn son and your continued health. There’s a belief in Uzushio—that a child born during a storm holds the power of maelstroms in the palm of their hands—and with this power, they’ll bring about a great change. Your little stormborn child may face difficulties in the future, but I believe he’ll overcome them and bring about that change, hopefully with my child by his side. I hope our children will be dear friends and support each other in the same way that we supported each other, and perhaps, one day, we’ll share some grandchildren! What a sight it would be, to see some red haired Uchiha! Oh, my dearest Miko, I miss you terribly, and cannot wait until your Seclusion is over and your boy is blessed and presented, officially, to the Noble Clans and then the village. Until then, give my darling godson a dozen kisses from his Auntie Tomato. 

Yours, affectionately,  
Uzumaki Kushina

[ the following letter was written to Mikoto from Haruno Mebuki, dated approximately two to three days after Uchiha-sama’s birth. While it should be noted that Haruno-san and Uchiha-sama’s friendship was not as close as the Matriarch’s friendships with Uzumaki-hime or Princess Ōhirume, they were still close enough that Haruno-san felt comfortable enough to send an informal message of congratulations. ] 

𝙳𝙴𝙰𝚁 𝙼𝙸𝙺𝙰,— 

Holy shit Mika-chan, look at you, giving birth to another kid. Congrats babe. You’re braver than a chūnin, truly. I can’t imagine having more than one child, though Kizashi wants another. No thank you. Once your seclusion’s over, I’ll bring my little Sakuya over to visit. Congrats again, and try not to get too bored during your seclusion. I snuck in some fun gossip from the vine. 

Love,   
Haruno Mebuki  
  
ps. DID FUGAKU FAINT DURING SASUKE'S BIRTH? PLEASE TELL ME HE DID.  


[ the following letter was written to Uchiha Mikoto from Ōhirume Mitsuko, Princess of the Ōhirume Clan, congratulating the future-Matriarch on the birth of her second child and broaching the subject of a betrothal between the one-month-old Princess Sayuri and Sasuke-sama, dated approximately three days after Uchiha-sama’s birth. ]

𝙼𝚈 𝙳𝙴𝙰𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚃 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴,—

The warmest congratulations, my love, on the birth of your second child—another son! Fugaku must be pleased, same as your mother-in-law, the indomitable Uchiha Matriarch and the Elder Council. You’ve secured the Royal Uchiha Line with an Heir and a Spare, as is your “duty” as Heiress of Fire. Yadda _Yadda_ . While Itachi is the bright future of the clan, _Kōki_ is _yours_ —yours to raise as you see fit, yours to smother in love and kisses in a way that you couldn’t with Itachi. I know you were hoping for a daughter for your own—but I think it’s rather fortuitous that you birthed another son. Before the birth of little _Kōki_ , we spoke of betrothing your child with one of my children—if you birthed a daughter, she’d marry my little Kazan, if you birthed a boy, he’d marry my Sayuri and join our house as her consort. I spoke to my mother about arranging a match between our children and she’s agreeable to the match if the Matriarch and the Uchiha Elders are willing. May the Goddess’ light bless you and keep you well. 

Love, always,   
Ōhirume Mitsuko, Princess of Clan Ōhirume.

𝙳𝙴𝙰𝚁 𝙼𝙸𝙺𝙾𝚃𝙾,

I send this letter in secret, knowing that my husband and mother-in-law would not approve, but we are friends - we have been friends since genin-hood, and clan politics be damned, we will remain so. The warmest congratulations on the birth of your little boy; I hear he looks exactly like you, wild black curls and dimples, and I cannot wait to meet him, my dearest friend. It’s my hope that one day he and my child will heal the divide between the Hyūga and Uchiha clans, similar to Madara and Hashirama of the old days. All this fighting is truly ridiculous, and for a slight no one even remembers! Until then, I suppose we’ll have to continue seeing each other in secret. I love you both, and give my love to Fugaku and Itachi. 

Love Always,   
Hisana.

𝙼𝙸𝙺𝙾𝚃𝙾,

Congratulations! You know I’m _usually_ above gossip, but is it true—did Fugaku truly faint at the sight of blood? Fugaku, seasoned fucking shinobi? WICKED EYE FUGAKU??? THAT FUGAKU? I’m roaring with laughter Miko. Please tell me it's true and that Mebuki isn’t just yanking my chain. If indeed he did faint, tell him it’s okay, that i don’t judge him—according to grandma Mito, Grandpa Hashi also fainted when she gave birth. If the God of Shinobi fainted, then its okay. Its still fucking hilarious though. I hope someone took pictures at least. Love you! 

Yamanaka Hanari. 

[ The following was the earliest surviving letter written to Uchiha Sasuke by Uzumaki Kushina, his godmother. It was unfortunately only one of five letters written before Kushina-hime’s untimely death. This one, dated Eight days before Kushina-hime’s death, was the only one that was recovered, as four of the letters were lost. ]

𝙳𝙴𝙰𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚃 𝚆𝙸𝙻𝙸𝚆𝙰𝙸,— You were born two months ago, and it seems like only yesterday i was writing a letter to your mama, congratulating her. I think of you every day and every day I’m shocked too see how much you’ve grown. Soon you’ll be walking and driving your mother up the wall! Ha! I cannot wait to see that! Sending you lots and lots of love from your favorite auntie! 

Love,    
Auntie Tomato.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 1, (unofficial) congratulations from Mikoto's friends after the birth of Sasuke. Coming soon: The Official congratulations from the Clan Leaders and Hokage. 
> 
> Hisana and Hanari are technically OCs, but they're also technically canon characters - they're Hinata and Ino's mothers. Canon gave us nothing about them, so I gave them names, personalities, and backstories. All the mothers get that in this universe. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought! Do you really think Fugaku fainted?


End file.
